A field-replaceable unit, or “FRU,” is a modular device that may be removed from a computer, computer system or other electronic equipment, and replaced. Many FRUs include memory (e.g., EEPROM) where fixed computer programs for internal control of the FRU, often referred to as “firmware,” are stored.
As computing systems increase in complexity, they typically include more and more FRUs. For example, commercial servers such as blade systems may have dozens, if not hundreds, of different FRUs, each having firmware that needs to be compared with a reference list and updated if necessary. Accordingly, management of firmware of a large number of FRUs on an individual basis is time consuming, subject to human error and, in the case of very large systems, impractical.
Some FRU themselves include FRUs or other components controlled by firmware. For example, a blade system includes a plurality of blades, each being a FRU that can readily be replaced with a similar or identical blade. Each blade itself may include numerous FRUs and other components that are controlled by firmware, such as input/output interfaces, memory, and the like.
System administrators may manage firmware in various ways. Some administrators may upgrade firmware for each FRU and component residing on every blade to the latest revision of firmware. Other administrators may wish to standardize the firmware controlling FRUs or other components that are common among multiple blades, regardless of what the latest version of firmware might be for each individual FRU or component.
FRUs can be replaced at any time, potentially causing unexpected version mismatches among firmware of FRUs. There is a need for the ability to detect these types of mismatches and correct them. There is also a need for the ability to change the version of firmware (e.g., upgrade) on multiple FRUs or mismatching FRUs in a single operation.
Businesses and organizations may expend large amounts of resources to manage firmware as described above, particularly in complex systems. For example, a business may pay a manufacturer of a complex system (e.g., a blade system) to send a specialized system administrator out periodically to update each firmware image of each FRU of the complex system.